Basket-support.



R. A. SUMMERS.

BASKET SUPPORT.

APPLIUATION IILEI) FEB. 29, 1912.

Patented June 23, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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R. A. SUMMERS.

BASKET SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29, 1912.

Patented June 23, 1914.

2 SHEETSS HBET 2.

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RUFUS A. SUMMERS, OF OIEDYKE, ILLINQIS.

BASKET-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed February 29, 1912. Serial No. 680,649.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUrUs A. SUMMERS, citizen of the United States, residing at Opdyke, in the county of Jefferson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Basket-Supports, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for supporting baskets and like inclosures so that a comparatively light and fragile basket may be employed with safety for carrying various commodities without danger of breakage or the fracture of the basket, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed and convenient device of this character which may be inexpensively manufactured without material structural change in the basket and likewise adaptable to baskets and like inclosures of various sizes and constructed from various materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character including a supporting frame for an ordinary basket and having a foldable handle connected therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having yieldable catch devices for supporting a basket in position.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having handles foldable toward either end of the basket.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter fully described and claimed and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device with a basket supported therein and with the handles in elevated position; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved device without the basket; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of the improved handles illustrating a modification in the construction; Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view illustrating another modification in the construction of the handle supporting bracket; Fig. 5 is a view illustrating another modification in the form of the handle; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cover for the structure disclosed in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating another modification in the construction of the handles; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a frame arranged to receive a feed bag with the improvement applied.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device comprises a skeleton frame preferably of wire, and including an upper encompassing rim member 10 and a plurality of connecting side members 11 substantially in U-shape and coiled at their upper ends at 12 around the member 10. The members 11 are spaced apart and form the sides and bottom elements of the structure. Any required number of the members 11 may be used, but generally four will be employed, as shown. Extending longitudinally of the frame are other wire members 13 bent first into elongated U-shape to form a clamping loop 14, and then coiled at 15 around one end of the member 10 and thence extended longitudinally of the frame and across the bottom portions of the members 11, the latter being formed into coils 16, where the members 13 cross them. At their opposite ends the members 13 are coiled at 17 around the other end of the member 10. The loop 14 extends for some distance above the horizontal plane of the member 10 and is designed to bear over the basket or other receptacle at one end, the basket being represented conventionally at 18. Connected to the frame 10 between the coils 17 is a yieldable catch device formed of a wire bent first substantially into U-shape and with a downwardly directed catch or loop 19 at the bend and with coils 2O engaging around the frame 10 between the members 17 and thence carried downwardly and beneath the basket and coiled at 21 at its terminals around the nearest member 11. The wire member will be sufficiently yieldable so that the catch portion 19 may be manually moved outwardly to enable the basket to be inserted. It will thus be obvious that a substantially constructed open frame or crate-like structure is produced which will effectually support a basket or other similar receptacle and reinforce the same and prevent-the loss of goods by the breakage of the basket.

The supporting frame may be employed for a consecutive number of baskets, so that when one of the weak, cheap and fragile baskets is worn out, a new basket may be substituted, and thus the skeleton frame emin their vertical portions.

ployed continuously and will thus outlast a relatively large number of the fragile and cheap baskets.

A foldable handle is employed in connection with the supporting frame so that the ordinary fragile handles employed upon the cheaper grade of baskets may be dispensed with. The foldable handle comprises supports attached to the frame member 10 at each side preferably midway of the ends. Each of the supports comprises a wire 22 having an upwardly directed loop 23 at each end, and with one end preferably coiled at 24 around one of the members 11 next to the member 10, and the other end as shown coiled around the member 10. By this means the supports are held from movement longitudinally of the member 10. The handle is connected to the members 22 23 and is formed of two substantially U-shaped bails 26-27 having eyes 2829 at their ends slidably and rotatably engaging around the members 2223. The members 26-27 are preferably entwisted as shown at 30 and likewise preferably provided with loops 31 In the modified structure shown in Fig. 3 one of the loops 23 of each of the supporting members at one end will be provided with a separate closed loop 28 and the eyes of one of the bails, for instance the eyes 29 of the bail 27, will be engaged in the separate closed loops, while the other eyes 28 of the other bail 26 will be slidable along the horizontal portions 22 and into the other open loops 23, and thus dispose the handle in vertical position as shown in Fig. 3. In all the constructions shown, when the handle is to be turned down into inoperative position, the eyes 28 are de pressed and caused to slide along the horizontal portions 22 toward the eyes 29 of the other member 27, which movement will dispose the handle members in condition to be turned down substantially parallel with the upper edge of the basket and of the frame 10 as will be obvious. Thus the handle will be disposed out of the way when a plurality of the baskets are to be superimposed or when the goods are to be placed in or removed from the baskets. By this means a very convenient and simple device is pro duced which is adapted for all the uses of an ordinary basket with additional strength and durability and without material increase of expense.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 the loops are left open, as shown. When thus arranged the handle may be folded in either direction or toward either end of the basket, as will be obvious, the twist 30 being sufficiently yieldable to permit a slight rolling movement between the parts.

In Fig. 2 another slight modification is shown consisting in forming the handles 2627 with a sheathing 32 shown in dotted lines around the entwisted portion 30 of the handles, to form a hand-grip.

In Fig. 3 eyes 28 are shown at one side to receive the eyes 29.

In Fig. 4 another modification in the construction of the handle-supporting member 22 is shown consisting in bending a loop 34 in the upper member 10 of the frame and passing the supporting member 22 through the loop 34 and bent into an upwardly directed holding loop 35 and thence connected at 36 to the member 10. In Fig. 4 the supporting member 22 at one end is directed upwardly into an open loop 37 and thence coiled around the member 10 and the terminal bent as shown at 38 to form a yieldable latch to maintain the eye 28' of the handle member in position in the loop 37 and thus preventing accidental displacement, while at the same time the portion 38 will yield when pressure is applied to move the handle member toward the loop 35. The yieldable latch 38 is also shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 5 the handle members 2627 are united near their ends by coupling members 39 which are secured to the handle members by eyes 40 and the intermediate portions entwisted as shown at 41. By this means a handle frame is formed including the handle members 2627 and the intermediate twisted portion 41 extending in parallel relations, as shown. The modified structure shown in Fig. 5 is completed by inclosing the parallel members in a sheet metal sheathing represented at 42 and secured in position by bending the downwardly directed edges around the handle members.

In Fig. 7 two of the handle members are employed, and united by a sheet metal supporting member 43 connected to the horizontal and parallel portions of the handle memhere by bending the downwardly directed edges of the sheet metal member around them as shown.

In Fig. 8 the improved device is shown applied to a frame comprising the upper member 10 which in this construction is circular, and having an open wire frame 44 depending therefrom and including a horizontal encircling member 45 connected to the frame by eyes, as shown, the wire frame cor responding to the supporting frame shown in Figs. 1 and 2, formed to receive a feed bag and provided with handle members constructed in the same manner as shown in Fig. 7, except the sheathing 48.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A receptacle support including an upper frame, bail supporting members connected to said frame and each including a horizontal central portion with downwardly opening loops at the ends, and bails having eyes engaging in said loops and loosely coupled at their upper portions, whereby the bails may be turned down toward either end of the frame.

2-. A receptacle support including an upper frame, bail supporting members connected to said frame and each including a horizontal central portion with downwardly opening loops at the ends, and bails having eyes engaging in said loops and loosely entwisted at their upper portions.

3. A receptacle support including an upper frame, bail supporting members con-' nected to said frame and each including a horizontal central portion with downwardly opening loops at the ends, one terminal of each of said bail holding members being extended over the entrance of one of said loops to form a yieldable guard thereto, and bails having eyes engaging in said loops.

4. A device of the class described comprising oppositely disposed supporting members each including a longitudinally directed portion having loops at the terminals thereof, coacting bails having eyes engaging said loops and shiftable along the longitudinal portions of the supporting members, and means for loosely coupling said bails.

5. A receptacle support including an upper frame, bail supporting members connected to said frame and each having a plurality of loops, and coacting bails having eyes engaging in said loops and shiftable along the supporting members, said bails being loosely entwisted at their upper portions.

6. A device of the class described, comprising oppositely disposed supportingmembers each including a longitudinal portion having loops at the ends thereof, and a pair of bails extending transversely of the supporting members and each having eyes at its ends engaging with said loops and shiftable along the longitudinal portion of the supporting members, said bails being coupled to each other.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUFUS A. SUMMERS. [1,. s]

Vitnesses:

WV. B. PLUMMER, JAY GOULD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

